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Principles for a Human Rights-Based Application of the DSA: A Global Perspective

A global coalition of civil society organizations, researchers, and human rights advocates gathered within the DSA Human Rights Alliance has published a set of principles calling on the European Union (EU) to implement the Digital Services Act (DSA) through a human rights-based approach and to incorporate global perspectives.

Photo: Electronic Frontier Foundation

The goal of the DSA is to create a safer digital space and ensure greater accountability for online platforms. Although the law applies within the EU, many of its provisions, including those related to content moderation, trusted flaggers, platform liability for user-generated content, and access to data, may have implications beyond Europe and are already influencing debates on digital platform regulation in other parts of the world.

The Alliance notes that certain DSA provisions strengthen the protection of users’ rights, but also warns that ambiguous language in the regulation could open the door to abuse or politicized enforcement. For this reason, it calls for a cautious, inclusive, and transparent approach, particularly in cross-border situations and when other countries adopt the DSA model. This includes incorporating a wide range of voices and perspectives to contextualize DSA enforcement, as well as carefully considering its global impact, the so-called “Brussels Effect”.

“Regulators and enforcers need input from civil society, researchers, and affected communities to understand the global dynamics of platform governance,” said Christoph Schmon, International Policy Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), one of the Alliance’s founding organizations. He emphasized that organizations outside the EU should be enabled to participate on an equal footing in DSA enforcement processes.

Citizens’ Association “Zašto ne”, as a member of the Alliance, took part in drafting the Principles. For civil society and other stakeholders from non-EU countries, including the Western Balkans region, participation in discussions and processes related to digital platform governance represents an opportunity to influence the development of policies that are later transferred into their national frameworks, strengthen human rights protections, and improve standards in areas where institutional capacities and accountability mechanisms are still underdeveloped.

The published Principles recommend:

  • Empowering Civil Society and Users to Pursue DSA Enforcement Actions
  • Considering Extraterritorial and Cross-Border Effects of DSA Enforcement
  • Promoting Cross-Regional Collaboration Among CSOs on Global Regulatory Issues
  • Establishing Institutionalised Dialogue Between EU and Non-EU Stakeholders
  • Upholding the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in DSA Enforcement, Free from Political Influence
  • Considering Global Experiences with Trusted Flaggers and Avoid Enforcement Abuse
  • Recognising the International Relevance of DSA Data Access and Transparency Provisions for Human Rights Monitoring

The full document, “Principles for a Human Rights-Based Application of the DSA: A Global Perspective”, is available here.